Empire: An Epic Novel of Ancient Rome

In the international bestseller "Roma", Steven Saylor told the story of thefirst thousand years of Rome by following the descendants of a singlebloodline. Now, in "Empire", Saylor charts the destinies of five moregenerations of the Pinarius family, from the reign of the first emperor,Augustus, to the glorious height of Rome's empire under Hadrian. Throughthe eyes of the Pinarii, we witness the machinations of Tiberius, themadness of Caligula, the cruel escapades of Nero, and the chaos of the Yearof Four Emperors in 69 A.D. The deadly paranoia of Domitian is followed bythe Golden Age of Trajan and Hadrianobut even the most enlightened emperorswield the power to inflict death and destruction on a whim. "Empire" isstrewn with spectacular scenes, including the Great Fire of 64 A.D. thatravaged the city, Nero's terrifying persecution of the Christians, and themind-blowing opening games of the Colosseum. But at the novel's heart arethe wrenching choices and seductive temptations faced by each newgeneration of the Pinarii. One unwittingly becomes the sexual plaything ofthe notorious Messalina. One enters into a clandestine affair with a Vestalvirgin. One falls under the charismatic spell of Nero, while another isdrawn into the strange new cult of those who deny the gods and callthemselves Christians. However diverse their destinies and desires, all thePinarii are united by one thing: the mysterious golden talisman called thefascinum handed down from a time before Rome existed. As it passes fromgeneration to generation, the fascinum seems to exercise a power not onlyover those who wear it, but over the very fate of the empire. Praise forSteven Saylor: "Saylor expertly weaves the true history of Rome with thelives and loves of its fictional citizens." ("Daily Express"). "Saylor'sscholarship is breathtaking and his writing enthrals". (Ruth Rendell)."With the scalpel-like deftness of a Hollywood director, Saylor puts hisfinger on the very essence of Roman history." (Times Literary Supplement)."Readers will find his work wonderfully (and gracefully) researched...thisis entertainment of the first order." ("Washington Post").